The Friend of My Enemy by Theory Queen

Angel hid in the shadows as was his wont, watching Buffy, Xander, and

Willow walk down the sidewalk. A smile creased his face as they passed,

then he stepped out and called to her. She whirled, a stake already in

her hand.

"What do you want?" She asked guardedly.

Angel spread his hands in a gesture of innocence. "Just wanted to talk,

that's all." He watched Willow and Xander take up defensive positions

around Buffy - not that it would do them much good if he really felt

like killing them tonight.

"Fine. Talk." Buffy said curtly. Angel shrugged.

"Spike's mage found a spell that negates the invitation spell. You

might have company tonight."

"Who?"

"Spike's little pets, maybe. Spike, maybe. Drusilla, maybe. Who

knows?"

"You?"

"No, not me. I've got other plans tonight. Maybe some other time."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Angel shrugged. "No reason." He joined the shadows again and

disappeared. As he left he heard her running to where he had been

standing, and chuckled quietly to himself. He'd heard Spike planning

his visit to the slayer earlier, but he laughed as he mentally pictured

the look on Spike's face when he found Buffy awake and pre-warned. He

started to whistle.

At the factory, Spike took a few steps forward, and stumbled. "Blast!"

he muttered. Drusilla floated in carrying a tire iron. "What's that

for, luv?" he asked.

"A man above us got a flat tire," she explained. "If you hurry, you can

help him fix it."

"Yeah, thanks, pet," he said, brightening. His pacing took on a more

purposeful rhythm.

Buffy hung up the phone and sat down on the bed. "I've told Giles what

Angel told me. Now all we need to do is figure out why he told me."

Willow hugged her knees. "So, another sleepover with weapons?"

"Excellent idea, Will," Xander said. "Can I pick out the nighties?"

"Uh, guys," Buffy said, standing up. "IF Spike shows up and comes in

with no invitation tonight, do you think I want you two here?"

"But it doesn't matter, because if he does have that kind of spell he

can kill us all any time he wants to," Willow said.

Xander chimed in again. "And can I just ask why we're suddenly

believing Angel again now, as if he's back to being good? I mean, why

would he tell Buffy the truth, anyway? And if there was such a spell,

why would he not use it himself?"

Willow answered, "Buffy asked him that, remember? And he said -- "

" 'I have other plans,' " Buffy finished. She thought for a second,

then sat back down. "Well, since Angel doesn't want to kill me just yet

- but instead he wants to kill you two, to get to me - and since Spike

just wants to kill me, and has no particular use for you two…" She let

her voice trail off, eyebrows lowering in concentration.

Willow put her thoughts into words for her. "Ever get the feeling those

two just don't get along?"

"Yeah," Buffy said thoughtfully. "Okay, change of plan. First we'll

call Giles, then you guys will tell your folks you're staying here for

the night."

"Whoopee!" yelled Xander, sitting down sheepishly when he realized the

other two were glaring at him. He gave them an impish grin. "Now,

about those nighties..?"

"I for one plan to add a crossbow and a kevlar turtleneck to my usual

night attire!" exclaimed Buffy with a smile as she picked up the phone

and dialed.

The phone rang again, startling Giles for the second time that night.

It was Buffy. She outlined her plan briefly and waited for his

response. It didn't take long.

"No. Absolutely not. Buffy, you put yourself at risk every night

because it's your job, but you can't put the others in danger as well."

"But Giles, listen. Angel wants to kill my friends, and if he has the

spell he can do that without my being there to protect them. Spike

doesn't care about them, he just wants to kill me. They're safest

wherever I am, if such a spell exists. DOES such a spell exist?" Buffy

asked.

Giles absently flipped the pages of his book. "I don't know.

Historically, there has been no mention of it, but there are some gaps

in the Watcher journals. Spells and magic are usually considered the

domain of the occult, and that was Miss Calendar's forte, not mine."

Buffy heard the catch in his voice. "I know, Giles, I'm sorry. But we

are staying here for the night, and I'm staying awake just in case. And

we're all armed and everything. So we'll just see how tonight goes and

report to you in the morning."

Despite their previous protestations that they wouldn't, both Willow and

Xander fell asleep. Buffy sat by the window, crossbow in hand, waiting.

A few hours passed before she saw what she was waiting for. Spike

walked slowly towards her house and began to climb the tree outside her

window. She kept quiet and watched his progress by the moonlight

shining on his platinum hair, and on the white mass he carried under his

arm. He reached the level of her window and crawled across the roof

towards her. When she moved, his head whipped up in surprise which he

quickly hid.

"Oh good, you're awake," he said easily.

Buffy's eyebrows lifted. "Uh, yeah, I usually try to be, when vampires

approach me in the middle of the night."

"Good point," he admitted. He handed her the white bundle. "Here."

She opened it, spread it out, and it became… "A shirt?" she said,

utterly bewildered. "Why did you give me a shirt?"

"A WHITE shirt, luv. White, as in truce. I just wanted to talk."

"Nice change," Buffy said. "Why haven't you come in yet?"

Now it was his turn to be bewildered. "You haven't invited me. Not

that I blame you for that, but it does make social calls a bit hard."

"But I thought your mage found a counter-invitation spell, or something.

What's up?"

Spike laughed silently. "Ah, so the Angel of the night came to call,

eh? Well, I had to tell him something! I couldn't tell him the real

reason I was coming here, could I?"

Buffy narrowed her eyes. "I don't know. What is the real reason you're

here? You said you wanted to talk… so talk from there."

"Fine. It's about Angel." And Spike explained his whole plan. When

he had finished, he rolled off the roof and dropped silently to the

ground.

Buffy sighed as she watched him disappear. She wondered if she'd

dreamed the strange visit, when she heard Willow say from the bed,

"Buffy, I heard the whole thing. We'll go to Giles in the morning."

Giles greeted them at the door next morning, looking preoccupied.

Cordelia was already there, seated at the table. As Buffy started her

story and reached the part about Spike's giving her the shirt, which she

unfolded along with the tale, Giles silently handed her the morning

paper with a red-circled headline that read "HALF-NAKED DRIVER BRAINED

WITH TIRE IRON." Buffy opened her fingers gingerly and dropped first

the shirt, then the paper.

"EW!" was her well-considered remark before she continued with her

story. When she finished, there were a few moments of quiet, broken by

Giles.

"It certainly is generous of him to make the offer. If it weren't for

last night's incident with the spanner, one might almost think Spike was

the one with the soul now. There's only one problem."

"Motive." Xander supplied helpfully.

"Yes, exactly. Why would Spike want to help us get Angel's soul back?"

"Jealousy," Cordelia stated positively. "It's about Spike's girl. He's

tired of Angel being back on the vampire dating scene."

"Cordy, that's sick," Xander tried to shut her up, but she kept talking.

"Listen, mister, I might not know much about vampires, which by the way,

is what Watchers and Librarians are for, but I know a hell of a lot

about dating, and I'm telling you -"

"Cordelia's right," Buffy interrupted, causing general consternation.

"I saw Angel with Drusilla once, in the park a long time ago. Plus, he

told he he used to be in love with her, so much that he brought her

over. No, it makes total sense. If Angelus is back and warming up the

cold soup with Drusilla, that would leave Spike injured AND left out.

Sort of kicking him while he's down."

"In that case I don't blame him for wanting the good old Angel back,"

Xander said. "When he was helping Buffy all the time, he didn't have

time for other girls."

"Boy," Willow observed innocently. "Jealousy can do some weird things

to people, can't it?" All eyes turned in her direction. "What?" she

said defensively.

In the factory warehouse, Spike settled comfortably into his wheelchair

and smiled up at his beautiful Dru. "Thanks for the tip last night,

ducks," he said. "It was a lot of fun, with the spanner and all."

Angel walked in wearing one of Spike's shirts. "Spike! How are you?"

"Better, thanks," Spike said stiffly.

"Yeah, I thought so. Heard about the tire iron incident and knew it had

to be you, Sonny boy."

Spike noticed Angel's apparel. "Here, what's with wearing my clothes?"

Angel shrugged. "Didn't think you'd mind. Besides, don't you have an

extra one, after last night?"

Spike looked away. "Lost it."

Angel grinned suddenly and changed the subject. "So, how's my little

lover doing?"

Spike gritted his teeth and said, "She's in the other room, beheading

Miss Edith."

Angel looked startled for a moment. "Not Dru! I meant the slayer!

Honestly, Spike, do you really think I'd want to steal your girl?"

Spike made no reply. Angel walked off into the other room, muttering,

"Borrow her, sure, but steal her? I don't think so. She's a nut case!"

Spike steamed, but still managed to say nothing.

The next night he showed up at the library. He burst open the door and

strutted in, flicking his cigarette on the floor. He looked around at

the startled expressions on the faces of Giles, Buffy, Xander, Willow,

and Cordelia. A large gym bag sat on the table in the middle. Spike

let a slow smile spread across his face when his eyes turned to the orb

of Thesula sitting on top of the bag. "Good," he said. "You got one."

"Actually, we got --" Cordelia began, but Buffy kicked her under the

table and smiled sweetly. "Actually, we got, uh, ready early. Right."

She finished.

Spike shrugged and didn't waste any more time on her. "Right, then, the

plan's all set? They come in here, we put 'em in the cage, do the

ritual thingie on Angel while I keep Dru out of your way. Right?"

"Perfect plan," Buffy said, still smiling sweetly. "Afterwards, can we

fight?"

Spike laughed. "Afterwards, baby, is where the amnesty comes in. You

let us two leave, and then you can have your way with anyone who's left

behind."

"Sounds like fun!"

Spike listened. "Get ready, they're coming. Where can I hide?"

"Get in the cage first," Giles suggested. "It will lend verisimilitude

to the proceedings, and afterwards, I give you my work we'll let you

leave freely."

Spike eyed him suspiciously, but Giles' face was a picture of innocence.

He shrugged and entered the cage, pulling the door so it was not quite

closed.

Angel's voice rang down the hallway. "Buffyyyy! Loooooover! Yoo-hoo,

I'm coming to see you!"

"Oh, god!" Buffy rolled her eyes. "I hope he decides to off me soon,

'cause if he doesn't, he'll just annoy me to death!"

>From the cage, Spike laughed out loud. Suddenly, the library doors

burst open and various vampire henchmen came in. Angel and Drusilla

followed them in, like a king and queen making a grand entrance. "'Bout

time you got here," Spike commented drily.

"Spike, aw, what happened? Did the slayer catch you on your second

night out? Don't worry, kid, we'll get you out of there in a minute."

Angel said sarcastically.

"Now!" Shouted Giles. Everyone sprang into action. Xander took a huge

water gun out of the gym bag on the table and began hosing down all the

minions with holy water. Willow stood at the doorway with a cross,

blocking the exit, while Cordelia took the guarded the one in the

stacks. Spike sprang out of the unlatched cage and kicked Angel in the

chest as hard as he could, then grabbed Drusilla and pushed her into the

cage. Meanwhile, Buffy went around to each incapacitated vampire who

had been baptized and methodically staked the whole line of them. She

then turned her attention to helping Spike. She dragged Angel over to

the cage and dropped him inside, then shoved Dru inside as well.

Drusilla tripped over Angel's leg and landed on top of him.

Spike began to swing the door closed, but Giles shouted, "Spike, look

out!" Spike looked behind him into the cage - and got shoved into it

himself!

"I thought I had amnesty!" he snarled.

Buffy, locking up the cage, smiled. "You do. When this is over, we'll

let you go free." She glanced over at the others. "Now, let's get

started."

The teenagers and their mentor formed a semi-circle around the table.

Cordelia carefully placed the gym bag on a chair next to her. Giles lit

some candles and placed them at intervals around the orb. One after

another, Giles, Willow, Xander, and Buffy recited the lines of the

spell. The orb grew hot and glowed. Just as it became almost too

bright to look at, Buffy nodded to Cordelia, who withdrew two small

objects from the bag and carefully placed them next to the glowing orb.

The three Orbs of Thesula glowed brightly, and the three vampires in the

cage began to scream in pain. Their shrieks rose to a crescendo until

suddenly the globes burst into fragments and the candles blew out.

There was silence.

"What have you done?" moaned Drusilla. "What have you done to me? I

was so happy, and now you've brought me back."

Angel's eyes flickered warily from Xander to Buffy standing next to the

cage with her stake held at the ready. She swung open the door and

stood just outside it. Giles walked over and flung a red rose at

Angel's feet. "Remind you of anything?" he asked coldly.

At the sight of the flower, Angel's brown eyes filled with memory,

comprehension, and tears. He crumpled to the floor inside the cage,

weeping.

Spike stepped over him and walked outside the cage. He glanced from the

weeping Angel to the moaning Drusilla leaning against the wall, and

looked up at the slayer. "Nice work, Sweetie." He said with genuine

admiration. "Sure seems to've worked all right."

"What about you?" asked Willow. "Didn't it work for you as well?"

"Well yeah," Spike admitted, then grinned at the redhead. "I'm afraid

it's not that much torment for me."

"How could that be?" Giles wondered aloud.

"Well, Angelus was always a lazy son of a bitch, but he was a decent

sort of bloke in spite of it. That, and he'd been brought up a good

Catholic boy. And Dru! She was a nun! Where do you suppose their

souls were, anyway?"

Buffy began to understand. "Whereas yours was…"

"…in the other place, that's right, pet!" Spike finished happily.

"Yeah, I always was a rough bastard, but that burning for eternity gig

sort of gets old after a few decades. Slayer, I'm grateful. Now, if

you'll excuse me, I'll leave you to deal with the leftovers." He walked

towards the door, but as Buffy approached Angel and said his name, he

paused and leaned against the doorframe, waiting to see what would

happen.

"Stand up, Angel," Buffy encouraged. He obeyed, eyes streaming. "Look

at me." His tortured eyes met hers. She touched his face lightly. "I

loved you so much! And when I showed you how much, you turned on me and

taught me how to hate you."

"I'm so sorry, Buffy -"

"Shhh." She put a finger against his lips and continued. "I know that

the person who did those awful things isn't the same man I loved, but I

also know that neither of us can live with the person who did those

things." She picked up a stake and held it out at chest level, pointing

at him. "It's up to you." She told him.

He understood. He took a moment to brace himself, then stepped forward

into her embrace. They kissed fervently for a moment, and he said,

"Thank you, Buffy!" Then he pulled her close to him and hugged her

hard. His eyes widened slightly, and he exploded in a pile of dust.

Drusilla wailed and leaped at Buffy, who countered instinctively with

the stake. Drusilla's face looked serene, and even sane for an instant

before her ashes joined Angel's on the floor.

"Oh, wow!" breather Xander.

"Harsh!" Willow agreed.

"How can people like opera when there's entertainment like this in the

world?" came the unexpected comment from the doorway. Buffy started

toward Spike, brandishing her stake.

"Two down, one to go!" She muttered.

Spike protested. "But slayer--! My amnesty!" He began to look nervous

as she stalked closer. "Um, my soul? I've got a soul, now, you know!

"So did they." Buffy informed him coldly.

Spike made one last bid for salvation. "I always thought you were cute,

you know. If Dru hadn't been around, maybe we could've -- "

With an inarticulate roar, Buffy leaped at him. He turned tail and ran

off down the hallway as fast as he could go, with the irate slayer close

on his heels. Within seconds, they were out of earshot.

Xander turned toward Willow and Cordelia. "So, you guys both ready for

that history test tomorrow?"

END

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